1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a method for preparing artificial acrylic marble and, more particularly, to a method for newly providing a wave/wood pattern to artificial acrylic marble during its preparation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Usually, artificial acrylic marble is prepared by curing in a mold a syrup comprising a monomer such as methylmethacrylate and its polymer in combination with a filler, such as calcium hydroxide, a pigment, a curing agent, and other additives.
Usable for the preparation of artificial marble are initiators, releasing agents, and dispersants. To express colors and/or figures, pigments and/or chips are used. Being the same as or different from a main component in the artificial marble, the chips have various colors and particle sizes (0.01-10 mm). The pigments are exemplified by zinc oxide white and iron oxide black. Additionally, pigments of various colors may be used. Pigments and chips may be used, alone or in combination, at an amount of 0.1-25% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
With reference to FIG. 1, there is a conventional method for providing artificial marble as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,175. As seen in the figure, at least two resins 2 and 3, which are different in color, but similar to aforementioned composition of artificial marble, are laminated on a mold in such a way that the layers are apparently discriminated. Then, the multi-layer structure is striped by use of a comb-patterned tool 1 with wings 4.
Employment of a comb-patterned tool in preparing artificial marble is frequently found in many patents.
For example, Japanese Pat. Laid-Open Publication Nos. Heisei 10-323848 and 11-277552 disclose preparation methods of artificial marble, both of which are characterized in that a liquid resin, wherein colorant is non-uniformly dispersed, is allowed to underlay at least one liquid resin layer with a different color and the multi-layer structure is provided with a natural sense to the eye by using a comb-patterned tool which has wings of different sizes and gaps. Japanese Pat. Laid-Open Publication No. Heisei 11-291267 discloses a method for preparing an artificial marble with natural stripe patterns, in which stripe patterns of the artificial marble are formed by moving a bleeding forming means on the trace of passage of teeth of a comb-shaped tool, which is moved in liquid resin in a manner of combing laminated liquid resin. Also, in Japanese Pat. Laid-Open Publication No. Heisei 11-291268, there is introduced an apparatus capable of producing artificial marble continuously on an industrial scale. The apparatus comprises a mobile molding cell, a liquid resin feeder, and a comb-patterned tool. Equipped with a plurality of resin outlets and a non-stirring mixer in which liquid resins and colorants are mixed, the liquid resin feeder feeds the resin in a perpendicular direction to the moving direction of the cell.
The above methods and apparatuses can provide artificial marble with stripe patterns, which are, however, not regular nor reproducible. Thus, the resulting products are unbalanced and instable in whole design. In addition, the conventional techniques cannot express various patterns because the wings of the comb-patterned tool are changed only in size and gap.
Leading to the present invention, employment of a rotational body and a liquid resin feeder having a single resin outlet, from which at least two liquid resins different in color and viscosity from each other are fed with a partial intermixture, allows various patterns to be expressed on the artificial marble.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for preparing artificial acrylic marble, by which the artificial acrylic marble can be diversely patterned with various colors by adding novel pattern (wave pattern and/or wood pattern), compared with the conventional artificial acrylic marble having stripe patterns.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for preparing artificial acrylic marble by use of an apparatus comprising a rotational body and a liquid resin feeder, wherein the liquid resin feeder comprises; at least two liquid resin inlets for introducing at least two liquid resins into the feeder, said liquid resins being different in color and viscosity from each other and partially intermixed in the feeder; a single liquid resin outlet alternatively moving from side to side along the width of mobile molding belt for discharging the partially intermixed liquid resins; and a mobile molding belt for transferring and curing the partially intermixed liquid resins, the rotational body has a rotating shaft with a plurality of spaced wings and is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise in the partially intermixed liquid resins on the mobile molding belt to form a wave/wood pattern while the liquid resins are cured, said wings being fixed along the shaft of the rotating body and alternately approaching the bottom and the top of the liquid resins on the belt during the rotation of the rotating body.